By Carmen Gordillo

Writing can often seem like a daunting task for children. One reason is that they frequently connect writing to academics tasks, which can be difficult or as they say “boring.”  In his book, A Writer’s Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You, Ralph Fletcher states that, “A writer’s notebook gives you a place live like a writer, not just in school during writing time, but wherever you are, at any time of day.” Savvy Aunties can teach their nieces (and nephews) that in real life writing can be enjoyable. Here are a few strategies:

Personalize a Notebook
You and your niece or nephew can decorate a composition notebook with pictures of places, people, and things that are important to them. I find that this activity helps children feel connected to their notebook and therefore want to write in it.

Create Lists
In this notebook have your niece or nephew write a list of topics that they enjoy learning about, reading, or discussing. Then have them pick some of these topics and write about them on a separate page. Giving children a choice of writing topics is one of the most powerful techniques, because who doesn’t prefer selecting their own writing topic? One of the complaints I get from my students is that they do not enjoy writing about topics that are chosen for them in school.

Collect Artifacts
Have your niece or nephew collect special artifacts, such as photographs, souvenirs, or cards, and then complete a free write about each of these items. This will help teach them that real writers find inspiration from their own world. In addition, before writing, talk to your niece or nephew about these objects and ask why are they are special to them. Real writers talk to others before they start writing.

Participate in a Writing Marathon
When I joined The National Writing Project at Rutgers, a writing organization for teachers, I participated in a writing marathon. There are different ways to have a writing marathon. At Rutgers we walked around a quaint little town and made stops at various places. We used nature as an inspiration for writing. Based on this experience, I took my youngest niece on a writing marathon last summer. On a clear, sunny day, we took a walk and wrote at different stops. During this writing marathon, she wrote a song about a hermit crab, Shelly, that she had recently bought at the beach. That night she sang it for our family.

Write from the Heart
I have attended numerous writing conferences, read research about writing, and participated in Twitter chats. One theme that always arises is for writers to “write from the heart.” Therefore, I encourage my nieces to write what they feel and just write! This low-risk strategy can help children become confident writers. 

Carmen Gordillo is a literacy specialist, middle school teacher, and doctoral candidate. She is a teacher consultant and provides professional development through the National Writing Project @ Rutgers.
 
Photo: stockimages
Published: April 23, 2014